


Nursing

by Islair



Category: The Emperor's Edge Series - Lindsay Buroker
Genre: F/M, Male Lactation, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-21
Updated: 2019-08-21
Packaged: 2020-09-23 07:30:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20336410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Islair/pseuds/Islair
Summary: What if Amaranthe has a difficult birth that leaves her too weak to breastfeed? An idea sparked by on events in "A New Arrival" by Archergirl...





	Nursing

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [A New Arrival](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20327047) by [Archergirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Archergirl/pseuds/Archergirl). 

The Kyattese medical practitioner took Sicarius to one side. "Your wife is still very weak from complications of the birth. It will be best if she is just allowed to rest for a week or two until she recovers her strength. Do you have any friends or family who could nurse your child until your wife is strong enough to start breastfeeding?"

Sicarius considered for a moment before answering. "No."

"Well, then you will probably need to employ a wet nurse..."

With no way to check what sort of diet she had been eating? The thought of his child drinking the milk of someone who drank alcohol, or ate sugar and starches all the time with no vegetables.... "No. No strangers."

"Okay. It's not the best option, but the boiled goat's milk, apple juice and honey mixture you Turgonians sometimes use to substitute for breast feeding in an emergency will at least keep your baby from starving..."

Feed his child some random mixture instead of proper human milk? "No!"

The practitioner sighed. "Look, it's only for a week or two. Once your wife has recovered, I can re-induce lactation and she will be able to take over feeding the child."

The difference between male and female breast tissue is mainly that of quantity, and a lack of the signal to start the process of lactation. But sometimes men did start to lactate. So he had read in his anatomy textbooks during his training, anyway.

And suddenly, the only way to ensure his child had an acceptable quality of human milk to drink until Amaranthe recovered was clear to him.

"Induce lactation in me." Sicarius stated.

The practitioner raised her eyebrows in surprise, but then considered this demand carefully for several moments. "Hm. You probably won't have enough breast tissue to feed a child long-term, but for this short period, whilst the child is still very small and only taking in small frequent meals, you should be able to keep up with demand... Okay. If you're sure about this, I will induce the lactation feedback cycle in you."

* * *

Amaranthe awoke from a deep drug-induced slumber. The pain was less now, but she still felt terrible. She could hear Sicarius beside her, apparently humming tunelessly to himself. She opened her eyes. He was sitting on a chair next to the bed, with their daughter in his arms.

Amaranthe smiled at them, and then blinked in surprise. She closed and re-opened her eyes to confirm what she was seeing. "Sicarius. Either I am hallucinating from the medicine, or you are breastfeeding our baby."

He looked up at her. "The alternatives available were not acceptable. The practitioner said that you should be able to take over in a few days once your have recovered your strength."

Amaranthe smiled, imagining the sort of concerns that had led him to this unconventional solution. "You are a strange and unique individual, and I love you."


End file.
